Elevator door safety system

Abstract

An elevator door safety system has a motion sensor and a proximity or door sensor defined in a fire-rated elevator entrance assembly. The sensors work together to determine when to open a closing door. The invention further defines a method of controlling an elevator door providing a motion sensor and providing a door sensor, wherein signals from each sensor are sent to a control board to determine when to open elevator doors in response to detecting a person in a detection area in an elevator entrance area.

I claim: 
     
       1. An elevator door safety system comprising:
 an elevator entrance assembly; 
 a motion sensor disposed in the entrance assembly, said motion sensor detecting presence of at least one person in an entrance area; and 
 a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor monitoring status of an elevator door; 
 wherein the status of an elevator door determines if the presence of the person will open the elevator door. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the entrance assembly is fire-rated and includes a head jamb and a strike jamb. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is a PIR. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is a PIR, said PIR further includes a sensitivity adjustor. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein said proximity sensor sends signals to a control board on the status of the door, wherein when the door is closed, said proximity sensor signals override PIR signals sent to the control board and the door remains closed. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein said proximity sensor sends signals to a control board on the status of the door, wherein when the door is not closed, said proximity sensor signals allow the PIR signals to be sent to the control board, the control board analyzes said proximity sensor signals and said PIR signals to determine whether to open the door. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the entrance area includes a detection area, the detection area being a distance to a maximum area in the entrance area in Which the motion sensor detects the presence of the person. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the detection area is measured starting from a hallway facing surface of an entrance jamb. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum area in the entrance area of the detection area is about 12″ from a hallway-facing surface of the entrance jamb. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum area in the entrance area of the detection area being defined by ASME code and being measured from the hallway-facing surface of the entrance jamb. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control board, said control board containing and running a continuous loop software with a preset timer, said control board determining if the motion sensor is detecting a moving person or object. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustor, the adjustor defining a detection area, the detection area being a maximum area in which the motion sensor detects the presence of the person. 
     
     
       13. The system  1 , wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in a head jamb of the entrance assembly. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in a strike jamb of the entrance assembly. 
     
     
       15. A method of controlling an elevator door comprising:
 providing a motion sensor disposed on an elevator entrance assembly, said motion sensor detecting presence of at least one person in a detection area, said motion sensor sending signals based on the detecting of the person to a control board; and 
 providing a door sensor, said door sensor detecting status of the door, said door sensor sending signals based on the status of the door to the control board, 
 wherein the motion sensor signals are bypassed by the control board when the door sensor sends door closed signals to the control board, 
 wherein the motion sensor signals are relayed to an elevator controller by the control board when the door sensor sends door-not-closed signals to the control board whereby the door opens. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the entrance assembly is fire-rated and said entrance includes a head jamb and a strike jamb. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the detection area is defined as a distance from a hallway-facing surface of the entrance jamb to a maximum area in the entrance area in which the motion sensor detects the presence of the person.